In association with:
ALAN McLEAN FCMA CGMA
Chartered Management Accountant
Blyth Spartans 1-1 Nantwich Town
Saturday 24th November
Evo-Stik Northern Premier League
Croft Park
Attendance: 299
On a day when temperatures in Northumberland dipped to freezing Spartans and Nantwich Town put on a lively and competitive fixture that ended with the points shared. Wayne Buchanan’s first goal of the season in the first half was cancelled out by a stunning effort from Town winger Sean Cooke fourteen minutes from time but Spartans managed to make it seven games unbeaten at Croft Park in all competitions.
Paddy Atkinson handed a debut to new loan signing Marcus Maddison who completed a temporary move from Newcastle United on Friday afternoon, whilst midfielder Neal Hooks was ruled out with a foot injury sustained in the Northumberland Senior Cup exit at the hands of Whitley Bay on Tuesday. Hooks’ place in the Spartans engine room went to Tom Berj whilst Ryan McGorrigan played his last match at Croft Park before a three game ban and was partnered up front by Robbie Dale, although the former Newcastle United man forward will be available for Tuesday’s trip to AFC Fylde.
It was the visitors who had the first chance in only the second minute of the game as Spartans failed to clear a corner and Sean Cooke chipped over Conor Grant’s goal from the edge of the box. It would take ten minutes for Atkinson’s side to have their first chance as Robbie Dale curled a twenty five yard free kick just wide of the post. In a game that had started like a basketball match it was Town who really should have taken the lead just after the quarter of an hour mark when Josh Lane was given too much time in the box and fired just wide of the far post from fifteen yards. Spartans went straight up the other end and had a great chance of their own when McGorrigan and Dale combined to release Lee Mason into the right hand side of the box and he was unlucky to see his effort narrowly go over.
As the game finally settled down Spartans suffered a further injury blow as a heavy tackle on Damon Mullen saw him taken off with Joe Kendrick taking his place at left back. The former Mansfield Town full back was straight into the action and his up and under into the Town box saw keeper Jon Brain flap at the ball and it rolled back to Kendrick whose lob only found the roof of the net. However Spartans would take the lead just after the half hour mark as Kendrick took a quick free kick and found debutant Maddison. The winger cut inside from the right wing and played a superb ball into the box that found Spartans skipper Wayne Buchanan who forced the ball into the net for his first goal of the season and second goal in a Spartans shirt. There would be one scare for the home side as Dabbers left back Lewis Short smashed a cross right across the face of Grant’s goal but it avoided three onrushing players and rolled to safety and with it went the visitors chances of going in level at the interval.
A surprisingly quiet and scrappy start to the second half saw both sides have players booked as Maddison was booked for ungentlemanly conduct and Dabbers full back Short was then booked for a challenge on Maddison on sixty minutes. That foul resulted in a free kick that nearly led to a second Spartans goal. Kendrick curled a dangerous ball into near post and as Short attempted to clear it he flicked the ball narrowly over his own bar. McGorrigan then had a great chance to carry on his impressive goalscoring run as he latched on to a quick free kick from Dale but fired a volley across the face of Brain’s goal that the former Carlisle United keeper was getting nowhere near.
As the clock ticked down the away side put Spartans under more pressure and they deserved the equaliser when it did come and what an equaliser it was too. A dangerous cross from right back Carden was scrambled away to Spartans but it fell to Cooke twenty five yards from goal and his first time effort crashed into the top left hand corner of Grant’s goal. With only fifteen minutes on the clock you would hope for a barnstorming finish to the game but in reality it was something of a damp squib. Both sides got into promising positions but the quality of the final ball let them down meaning the match ended with shared points in what was probably the right result on the balance of play.
So Spartans head into a tough looking week as they travel to AFC Fylde on Tuesday night before welcoming FC United of Manchester to Croft Park on Saturday.
Spartans Man of the Match: Wayne Buchanan
Blyth Spartans: Grant, Utterson, Mullen(Kendrick 22), Berj, Vipond, Buchanan, Donnelly, Mason(Stanger 56), McGorrigan(Airey 70), Maddison, Dale Subs not used: Maguire, Mellish Scorer: Buchanan 33
Nantwich Town:Brain, Carden, Short, Maguire(Campbell 55), Moss, Smith, Cooke, McLachlan, Lane, Everall, Hughes(Wilson 60) Subs not used: Anbridge, Gould Goalscorers Cooke 76
Referee:Mr Gordon